KOLKATA (West Bengal) : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) openers Sunil Narine and Philip Salt delighted the Eden Gardens crowd with an exhilarating batting display and obliterated Punjab Kings (PBKS) bowlers to power KKR to 261/6 against PBKS in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match on Friday.
The 138-run partnership between Narine and Salt was the 8th 100-plus opening stand for KKR in the IPL and the first since 105 between Narine and Lynn against RCB in Bengaluru back in 2017.
Salt scored a magnificent 75 off 37 while Sunil Narine played a fine knock of 71 in 32 ball, complemented by Shreyas Iyer’s impressive 28-run contribution, while Venkatesh Iyer concluded in style with a lively 39-run cameo, propelling KKR to a formidable total.
Put to bat first, the opening pair of Philip Salt and Sunil Narine got off to an aggressive start and the duo looked unstoppable as KKR raced their way to 76/0 in the Powerplay.
Salt single-handedly crunched Harshal Patel for 18 runs, hammering sixes and one four in the third over. In the very next over the openers smoked Kagiso Rabada for 21 runs, slamming three boundaries and maximum.
PBKS stand-in captain Sam Curran brought back Rabada in the attack however the decision backfired as Salt and Narine destroyed the pacer with back-to-back boundaries, gathering 22 runs.
Salt was in sensational form for Kolkata at the top and continued his good run of form as he slammed a half-century in 25 balls. Rahul Chahar finally broke the solid partnership as he removed Narine for 71.
In the 13th over of the game, Sam Curran ended Salt’s stay at the crease. The KKR batter went back to the pavilion after scoring 75 off 37.
Andre Russell, who is in red-hot form in the tournament came out to bat. The batters hammered PBKS bowlers for the brief time period, gathering 24 runs, before losing his wicket to Arshdeep Singh.
KKR captain Shreyas Iyer came out to bat and the batter picked it from where Russell left, hammering PBKS skipper Curran for 24 runs with the help of three maximums and one boundary.
KKR lost Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh at short intervals, while Venkatesh Iyer kept the momentum going for KKR. In the last over, Venkatesh and Ramandeep Singh gathered 12 runs, propelling KKR to 261/6 in 20 overs.
Brief score: Kolkata Knight Riders 261/6 (Philip Salt 75, Sunil Narine 71; Arshdeep Singh 2-45) vs Punjab Kings. (ANI)